Mia by Nines d'Onil

Mia by Nines d'Onil

Mia by Nines d'Onil is a 12-inch all-soft-vinyl doll made in Spain. This slightly vanilla-scented doll is so funny-looking to me that she's cute. 

A full-view photograph of Mia was taken after she arrived.

Mia arrived wearing only panties to which a mini brochure of Nines d'Onil's doll collection was attached.

This is the front of the mini brochure.

This is the back of the Nines d'Onil brochure.

Before Mia arrived, I knew I would dress her for Christmas, and I had a Christmas sweater (wine bottle cover) in mind.

A selection of Christmas sweater wine bottle covers were considered as clothes for Mia.

My sweater ornaments have small neck hole openings that could have posed a dressing problem. Fortunately, Mia's soft vinyl head pops off easily. However, none of my wine bottle covers suited Mia or me, but a Santa jacket ornament that was a gift from a doll friend a few years ago worked. 

Mia wears a Santa jacket ornament.

With her head off and her arms lowered, I squeezed Mia's body into the Santa jacket ornament, which only has a head and hemline opening. Next, I was able to shift each arm into its respective armhole. I found lacy white socks and vintage black doll shoes that fit her wide feet. 

Mia holds a Christmas stocking.

A close-up of Mia's stocking better illustrates it.

Mia holds a knit Christmas stocking and looks quite adorable, in my opinion.

She even looks cute from a rear view.

Mia is now in a holiday display with two Matunda Ya Kwanzaa Father Santas.

Mia has now been incorporated into this year's Christmas decor. 

Nines d'Onil makes 9-inch versions of Mia. If I find one with brown-textured hair, Mia will get a little sister. Until then, she will remain an only child of this brand.
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©Black Doll Collecting/dbg

There are countless items to collect and write about. Black dolls chose me.

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Woman Needs Help with Black Baby Doll from Childhood

Who is this approximately 9- to 12-inch tall mystery circa 1970s-1990s vinyl and cloth baby doll?

Do you recognize the doll (its name and maker) in the photos provided by a woman who owned it as a child? 

The woman as a 1-1/2-year-old child holds the mystery baby doll.

These photos were taken in 1991, but the woman's mother thinks the doll might have been purchased from a thrift store and could date back to the 1970s. (It appears to be from the 1980s-1990 to me.)

Further description from the former owner notes it had a white cloth body and plastic (vinyl) head, hands, and feet. "I feel like her hand position and the size of her feet are unique as well as the placement of her ears and some of her features," she wrote. She is not sure about the doll's height. (Between 9 and 12 inches tall is my estimate.)

These are the best pictures and the only information provided. 

I've checked my doll references and consulted other collectors for help. I was granted permission to share the photos to ask the general doll-collecting community for identification help. Please use the comment section to offer leads and/or the doll's definite ID. The woman would like to replace her childhood doll that she "carried everywhere..." Thank you in advance!

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©Black Doll Collecting/dbg

There are countless items to collect and write about. Black dolls chose me.

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Thank you for reading. Comments that are not spam are appreciated. Spam comments will not be published, so don't waste your time. To contact me directly regarding dolls or any of my posts, please use the contact form on the right of the home page, which is visible in "web view." A link to web viewing should be visible at the bottom of this page.

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Nancy Green as Aunt Jemina

Nancy Green by Albert E. Price, Inc., 1984

A museum patron asked if I owned this porcelain portrait doll of Nancy Green, a duplicate in his collection. Because I did not, he sent me his duplicate doll.

This 16-inch portrait doll manufactured by Albert E. Price, Inc. in 1984 has a stuffed cloth body and partially stuffed arms and legs. The head, lower arms, lower legs, and feet are porcelain.

The Nancy Green doll has painted facial features and sculpted short hair underneath a white headscarf. The costume includes a red, green, and yellow plaid dress with a detached white apron, white pantaloons, sculpted white socks, and sculpted black shoes. 

The Price company is known to have produced this doll in 1980 and 1984 to represent the formerly enslaved woman whose mammy-maid/cook advertising character helped promote R. T. Davis Milling Company's Aunt Jemima products. 

The front and back of the doll's dress tag identify the manufacturer and the production year.

The front of the dress tag identifies the doll's manufacturer.

The manufacturer and 1984 as the production year are on the back of the dress tag.

Born on March 4, 1834, the real Nancy Green became financially secure as "the advertising world's first living trademark" until her tragic death in a car accident in 1923 (Nancy Green).

The donor's doll, made in 1980 by Price, is installed in DeeBeeGee's Virtual Black Doll Museum. 

References:

Nancy Green, The Original 'Aunt Jemima'

Nancy Green "Aunt Jemima" VBDM installation

#blackhistory

#blackdollhistory

#Auntjemima

#Nancygreen

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©Black Doll Collecting/dbg

There are countless items to collect and write about. Black dolls chose me.

__________

Thank you for reading. Comments that are not spam are appreciated. Spam comments will not be published, so don't waste your time. To contact me directly regarding dolls or any of my posts, please use the contact form on the right of the home page, which is visible in "web view." A link to web viewing should be visible at the bottom of this page.

If you're not already a subscriber, visit, "like" and follow the Black Doll Collecting Facebook page or bookmark the Black Doll Collecting home page and visit on Tuesdays and Thursdays when typically new posts are published.

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Doll Museum of African American History

The Doll Museum of African American History is located in Omaha, Nebraska

The grand opening of The Doll Museum of African American History in Omaha, Nebraska took place on December 7, 2024. Over 200 guests, including women affiliated with different doll clubs, attended the grand opening. The museum was founded by LaVon Stennis-Williams and currently showcases over 750 dolls.  After the event, the founder wrote, 

"The doll museum was very well received." She further noted, "Yesterday during the Doll Museum’s opening, I was reminded of why Black doll collectors are so important in preserving the history of the Black doll. Because there were so few Black dolls produced pre-1980, and because many of the ones that survived are in the hands of white collectors/profiteers, the vintage Black doll's existence is fading away. "Many of my Black guests yesterday had never heard of Saralee, Patty Jo, Shindana, and other Black doll makers, let alone seen these historic dolls. So it’s up to each of us to find a way to make sure our Black dolls and our vast knowledge of Black dolls’ history makes its way into the sight and minds of Black youth and adults."

NBC-affiliate WOWT's pre-grand-opening coverage provides a delightful glimpse inside this free museum and additional commentary from the founder. Follow this link to read the WOWT article and view the video coverage.

#dollmuseum #blackdollmuseum

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All photos and text are copyrighted and cannot be used elsewhere unless permission is granted by the author.

©Black Doll Collecting/dbg

There are countless items to collect and write about. Black dolls chose me.

__________

Thank you for reading. Comments that are not spam are appreciated. Spam comments will not be published, so don't waste your time. To contact me directly regarding dolls or any of my posts, please use the contact form on the right of the home page, which is visible in "web view." A link to web viewing should be visible at the bottom of this page.

If you're not already a subscriber, visit, "like" and follow the Black Doll Collecting Facebook page or bookmark the Black Doll Collecting home page and visit on Tuesdays and Thursdays when typically new posts are published.

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*New*Visit/Follow DeeBeeGee's Virtual Black Doll Museum
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More Dolls Dressed for Christmas 2024

Jamilla by Wendy Lawton

Jamilla by Wendy Lawton is redressed for Christmas annually along with a 1940s Transitional Shirley-Temple-type mama doll as seen next.

Circa 1940s Transitional Shirley-Temple-type Mama doll

After redressing for the holidays, the Mama doll and Jamilla are always displayed together. Sometimes the Mama doll also holds a Christmas ornament.

The redressed Mama doll holds Jamilla only for now.

Kissy wears an infant-size velveteen red dress, white lacy ankle socks, and black patent-leather shoes.

Two Tommy dolls and Kelly from the Nutcracker series are attached to Kissy's dress.

Tommy as Major Mint, Peppermint Girl Kelly, and Gingerbread Boy Tommy decorate Kissy's dress as illustrated above.
Next, I redressed three 18-inch dolls.

An 18-inch Madame Alexander doll wears a tartan plaid dress, a red velour jacket, a red velour headband, red tights, and black boots.

The Alexander doll wears the dress without the jacket.

Journey Girls Taryn wears a tartan plaid jumper with a white mock turtleneck, an elasticized red ribbon headband, white tights, and black boots.

Dollfun Hanna wears a red and tan plaid dress with white tights and black sparkly flats.

Hanna wears her jacket and hat in this photo.

In this final photo, the three 18-inch girls pose together.

After our Christmas tree is up and decorated, Kissy and the 18-inch dolls will stand underneath and count down the remaining days before Christmas. 
Related PostDoll Ornaments or Clothes
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©Black Doll Collecting/dbg

There are countless items to collect and write about. Black dolls chose me.

__________

Thank you for reading. Comments that are not spam are appreciated. Spam comments will not be published, so don't waste your time. To contact me directly regarding dolls or any of my posts, please use the contact form on the right of the home page, which is visible in "web view." A link to web viewing should be visible at the bottom of this page.

If you're not already a subscriber, visit, "like" and follow the Black Doll Collecting Facebook page or bookmark the Black Doll Collecting home page and visit on Tuesdays and Thursdays when typically new posts are published.

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Martha Chase Doll #2

A circa 1950s Martha Chase stockinette doll

I finally seized the opportunity to purchase a circa 1950s Martha Chase stockinette doll from the American Black Beauty Association's Adopt-A-Doll page. I became aware of the doll several months to possibly a year before the purchase. My concern about the doll's "skin" condition caused the purchase hesitation. I reached out to inquire about the condition, but I did not hear back. Months passed. I often visited their website to check on the doll's availability. Finally, after considering the doll's quite reasonable price, I ordered it hoping it would be in at least acceptable condition. 

Full-length photo of the Martha Chase stockinette doll before redressing

Described as "Brenda Victorian Grace" by ABBDA, the doll arrived in excellent condition, dressed in a full-length white Victorian-inspired gown trimmed in light blue. It is my second Martha Chase doll and an upgrade to my first. 

My first doll's "skin" felt sticky, and I mistakenly wiped the face with a damp cloth, not realizing that the stockinette covers a sculpted head underneath and any openings in the stockinette would cause the stockinette to pucker when wet, which is exactly what happened to the first doll. That's why I was concerned about "Brenda's" condition. I am so relieved that her "skin" is perfect. 

This photo and the one below illustrate the doll's body and flat upper arm and leg joints.

The stockinette is in perfect condition.

Brenda is redressed in a matching bonnet and romper and white baby-doll shoes.

I redressed her in a Daisy Kingdom doll bonnet and romper that I purchased several years ago. It fits her perfectly. A pair of vintage vinyl baby-doll shoes completed the redressing. I stored the Victorian-style gown in a footlocker where other doll clothes and a few vintage cloth dolls are stored.

My 1st and 2nd Martha Chase dolls

Brenda, my upgraded and 2nd Martha Chase doll, displays well with my 1st Martha Chase doll which was dressed as a boy by the friend who gave him to me in 2013 for Christmas. 

After Brenda arrived, I repainted the boy's eyes to make them as bright as Brenda's.

Yes, they do display well together.

Related Links

Throwback Thursday: This Little Boy

Martha Chase Stockinette Doll

Martha Chase Exhibition

All photos and text are copyrighted and cannot be used elsewhere unless permission is granted by the author.

©Black Doll Collecting/dbg

There are countless items to collect and write about. Black dolls chose me.

__________

Thank you for reading. Comments that are not spam are appreciated. Spam comments will not be published, so don't waste your time. To contact me directly regarding dolls or any of my posts, please use the contact form on the right of the home page, which is visible in "web view." A link to web viewing should be visible at the bottom of this page.

If you're not already a subscriber, visit, "like" and follow the Black Doll Collecting Facebook page or bookmark the Black Doll Collecting home page and visit on Tuesdays and Thursdays when typically new posts are published.

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Check out my eBay listings here.
Please follow my sister blog Ebony-Essence of Dolls in Black.
*New*Visit/Follow DeeBeeGee's Virtual Black Doll Museum
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Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving to all who observe this holiday. Enjoy!

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All photos and text are copyrighted and cannot be used elsewhere unless permission is granted by the author.

©Black Doll Collecting/dbg

There are countless items to collect and write about. Black dolls chose me.

__________

Thank you for reading. Comments that are not spam are appreciated. Spam comments will not be published, so don't waste your time. To contact me directly regarding dolls or any of my posts, please use the contact form on the right of the home page, which is visible in "web view." A link to web viewing should be visible at the bottom of this page.

If you're not already a subscriber, visit, "like" and follow the Black Doll Collecting Facebook page or bookmark the Black Doll Collecting home page and visit on Tuesdays and Thursdays when typically new posts are published.

Check out what I am selling here. 
Check out my eBay listings here.
Please follow my sister blog Ebony-Essence of Dolls in Black.
*New*Visit/Follow DeeBeeGee's Virtual Black Doll Museum
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The Museum's YouTube Channel

DeeBeeGee's Virtual Black Doll Museum has several social media sites where each curated doll installation is featured. The most recent social media site is YouTube where a video recap of the previous week's installations is published each Sunday.  View last week's video recap below and please follow and share the link to the channel. 

Use the links below to the museum's other social media platforms to follow, like, and share. Thank you!

Social Media Links

Facebook

Instagram

Pinterest

YouTube

All photos and text are copyrighted and cannot be used elsewhere unless permission is granted by the author.

©Black Doll Collecting/dbg

There are countless items to collect and write about. Black dolls chose me.

__________

Thank you for reading. Comments that are not spam are appreciated. Spam comments will not be published, so don't waste your time. To contact me directly regarding dolls or any of my posts, please use the contact form on the right of the home page, which is visible in "web view." A link to web viewing should be visible at the bottom of this page.

If you're not already a subscriber, visit, "like" and follow the Black Doll Collecting Facebook page or bookmark the Black Doll Collecting home page and visit on Tuesdays and Thursdays when typically new posts are published.

Check out what I am selling here. 
Check out my eBay listings here.
Please follow my sister blog Ebony-Essence of Dolls in Black.
*New*Visit/Follow DeeBeeGee's Virtual Black Doll Museum
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28-inch Barbie Gets Redressed

28-inch Rainbow Sparkle Best Fashion Friend Barbie wears the original dress.

I purchased new clothes for Rainbow Sparkle Best Fashion Friend Barbie after viewing a beautiful selection offered by Etsy seller, LadyMarigoldFashions (the shop link is at the end of this post).  

Rainbow Sparkle Best Fashion Friend Barbie wears her new outfit well.

Because my doll has rainbow-colored hair, I limited the colors of the new clothes when making my selection in the Etsy shop. I chose a blue sweater with leggings ensemble by LadyMarigoldFashions which matches the doll's molded-on silver shoes. The crop top has a white diagonal design with a Velcro closure in the back. The leggings accent the doll's shapely legs and have a slight flare at the bottom. 

This well-made, moderately-priced fashion looks much better than Mattel's original. 

I almost deleted this photo.

Side Note: I took the above low-quality photo using my cell phone camera before switching to my Canon digital camera to take the other images in this post. The doll stood on one of my office chairs, the back of which is shorter than the doll's height. As a result, dolls on a shelf were captured in the photo, which adds photographic appeal. Had the clarity of the cell phone photo been sufficient, the plan was to remove the background.

Related Links

28-inch Before and After Barbie

LadyMarigoldFashions

All photos and text are copyrighted and cannot be used elsewhere unless permission is granted by the author.

©Black Doll Collecting/dbg

There are countless items to collect and write about. Black dolls chose me.

__________

Thank you for reading. Comments that are not spam are appreciated. Spam comments will not be published, so don't waste your time. To contact me directly regarding dolls or any of my posts, please use the contact form on the right of the home page, which is visible in "web view." A link to web viewing should be visible at the bottom of this page.

If you're not already a subscriber, visit, "like" and follow the Black Doll Collecting Facebook page or bookmark the Black Doll Collecting home page and visit on Tuesdays and Thursdays when typically new posts are published.

Check out what I am selling here. 
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Please follow my sister blog Ebony-Essence of Dolls in Black.
*New*Visit/Follow DeeBeeGee's Virtual Black Doll Museum
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Kissy's New Shoes

Dyed and painted Kissy by Ideal

I was almost satisfied with my dyed and painted Kissy after recently finding her original romper; however, I wanted her identical red shoes by Ideal or a suitable replacement. 

Kissy had worn white cloth infant-size shoes.

I measured the length and width of her feet, which would require a shoe or sandal measuring at least 4 x 2 inches. I searched online for shoes this size and found the sandals seen in the next two photos.

I am relieved that her little fat feet fit inside these sandals.

The sandals pair well with her red and white gingham romper.

The sandals are a bit too long for her feet, but a shorter pair might not accommodate the width. So, I am satisfied with these... unless I find her original shoes.

Related Links

Kissy's Romper

Ideal Kissy, a Dye and Paint Job Redone

All photos and text are copyrighted and cannot be used elsewhere unless permission is granted by the author.

©Black Doll Collecting/dbg

There are countless items to collect and write about. Black dolls chose me.

__________

Thank you for reading. Comments that are not spam are appreciated. Spam comments will not be published, so don't waste your time. To contact me directly regarding dolls or any of my posts, please use the contact form on the right of the home page, which is visible in "web view." A link to web viewing should be visible at the bottom of this page.

If you're not already a subscriber, visit, "like" and follow the Black Doll Collecting Facebook page or bookmark the Black Doll Collecting home page and visit on Tuesdays and Thursdays when typically new posts are published.

Check out what I am selling here. 
Check out my eBay listings here.
Please follow my sister blog Ebony-Essence of Dolls in Black.
*New*Visit/Follow DeeBeeGee's Virtual Black Doll Museum
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Ornaments or Doll Clothes?

Family Dollar-found ornaments shaped like a Santa coat and a Mrs. Santa dress

From a few feet away as they hung on a rack, I immediately saw doll clothes in these ornaments from Family Dollar. Once in my hands, I carefully examined each one checking for ample head, arm, and body openings. After determining they would work for petite dolls, I carted and purchased both.

Minor adjustments included cutting off the red ribbon ornament holders and slitting open the ribbon belt on the coat to create a complete opening. To increase the neck opening of the dress to accommodate a doll's head, I cut a V-shaped opening in the back at the neck.

I slit the coat's ribbon belt to the right of the yellow felt buckle as illustrated. (This caused some fraying).

I cut a V-shaped opening at the neck of the dress in the back to allow room to pull it over a doll's head. 

To prevent or stabilize the fraying of the coat's ribbon belt and the cut fur edges of the dress, I applied Mod Podge as illustrated next.

Mod Podge was painted on top and underneath the edge of the cut ribbon belt (it dried clear).

I applied Mod Podge to the cut edges of fur at the back of the dress neckline after I tried it on the doll selected to wear it and after I stuffed a wad of Saran wrap between the inside of the dress and the doll's body to protect it from the glue. I banded the doll's hair to protect it. 

After the glue dried, placing a small piece of double-sided tape underneath the belt reattached both belt pieces, and I removed the wad of Saran wrap from the back of the dress. Next, for one doll, I located black opaque stockings and a red cap, and shoes for both dolls to complete their Christmas attire. 

The dolls modeled their Christmas clothes individually and together.

A Creatable World Doll wears the coat over its own clothing and shoes: a white T-shirt and shorts with a red cap and red high-top sneakers. The black stockings are from a fashion doll clothing pack.

Barbie Fashionista #93 on an articulated Blythe body wears the Mrs. Santa dress with black Blythe high-heel shoes.

These two look great in their 2024 Christmas outfits.

I completed my first two 2024 Christmas redresses for $2.71 (cost plus tax). 

All photos and text are copyrighted and cannot be used elsewhere unless permission is granted by the author.

©Black Doll Collecting/dbg

There are countless items to collect and write about. Black dolls chose me.

__________

Thank you for reading. Comments that are not spam are appreciated. Spam comments will not be published, so don't waste your time. To contact me directly regarding dolls or any of my posts, please use the contact form on the right of the home page, which is visible in "web view." A link to web viewing should be visible at the bottom of this page.

If you're not already a subscriber, visit, "like" and follow the Black Doll Collecting Facebook page or bookmark the Black Doll Collecting home page and visit on Tuesdays and Thursdays when typically new posts are published.

Check out what I am selling here. 
Check out my eBay listings here.
Please follow my sister blog Ebony-Essence of Dolls in Black.
*New*Visit/Follow DeeBeeGee's Virtual Black Doll Museum
Donate here to support this blog. Thank you!